Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 696,948. Patented Apr. '8, I902.

E..J. DOLAN. ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

. (Application filed Mar. 19, 1897.)

(No Model.)

NITED terns yernwr t rrent EDWARD J. DOLAN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AOETYLENE IIOUSE LIGHTING COM- PANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,948, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed March 19,1897. Serial No. 628,308. (No model.)

.To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. DOLAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Shakers for Acetylene-Gas Generators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked of this specification, and in which drawings thereon, which form a tion.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in automatic agitators or shakers for acetylene-gas generators; and it has for its object the provision of a simple and efficient attachment for aeetylene-gas generators of the type which employs a rotating cage or compartment for holding the calcium carbid from which the gas is generated, the device being adapted to automatically impart from time to time a partial rotary movement to the cage or cylinder, so as to expose to the action of the water a fresh surface of carbid and at the same time cause the refuse material contained within the cage or cylinder to be thrown out between the bars of the cage. The device is so constructed as to ef-' feet these partial rotations of the cylinder at times when the pressure of the gas falls below a certain predetermined point at which the device is set to operate.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the same consists in the novel construction and in the peculiar arrangement, combination, and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and then specifically defined in the appended claims. 1 a

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which with the letters of reference marked thereon form a part part of this speeifica- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of one end of an acetylene-gas generator with my invention applied thereto, a portion of the generator being broken away. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, in central vertical section, of the gasvalve chamber and it's attachments, the position of the parts normally being shown in full lines and the positions assumed in operation being indicated by dotted lines.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates the gasehamber of an acetylene-gas generator. Oarried by a shaft 13, passing through the upper portion of the gas-chamber, is a cylindrical cage or drum O. The said drum, which is designed to contain the carbon carbid, is cylindrical in cross section, having solid ends which are connected at intervals of their peripheries by bars or rods a a. An inlet-pipe D is provided, which connects with a perforated pipe D extending longitudinally of the gas-generator above the drum or cylinder, and through the perforations in the said pipe D water is distributed to the carbid contained within the cylinder.

E is the gas-pipeleading from the generator, being provided with the usual stop-valve E and F is a lateral pipe communicating with the pipe Eand leading to the lower eompart ment of an inclosed chamber G, the interior of which chamber G is divided by a flexible diaphragm G which extends horizontally through the chamber into two compartments G and G the lower compartment G being gas-tight.

H is a rod which at its lower end is attached to the upper face of the flexible disk G This rod H passes through the opening h, which is provided in the upper easing or cover of the chamber G, and at its upper end the rod is pivotally connected with the outer end of the lever H through an intervening link H The lever H has pivotally attached thereto at its inner end a pawl I, designed to engage the teeth of a ratchet wheel or pinion J, carried at the outwardly-extended end of the shaft, upon which the drum or cage O is mounted.

K is a larger ratchet-wheel, which is also secured to the shaft of the drum 0, and L is a'pawl or latch pivoted to the end of the generator-case and engaging the teeth of the wheel K to prevent back action of the shaft carrying the drum, as will presently apgear.

The operation of the device will from the foregoing description in connection with the drawings be readily understood. A weight W having been placed upon the free end of the lever M, which said lever is at its inner end pivoted to the end of the gas-generator case and at the point at which it crosses the rod or link H is pivotally attached to said rod, the said weight will serve to normally hold the flexible disk at the lower end of the rod II down, thus holding the disk G at the extreme lower limit of its downward throw.

, Gas passing from the generator and entering the compartment G beneath the flexible diaphragm G will when the gas-pressure exceeds the downward pressure exerted by the weight M force the diaphragm G upward, thus raising the rod or valve-stem II, and through its connections will force the pawl I against the tooth of the ratchet-pinion J, with which it is in engagement, and serve to turn the shaft of the drum or cylinder in the generator one notch forward. The shaft is held against backward movement by the pawl L, as will be readily understood.

It will be seen that by this construction the shaft of the drum will be turned slightly each time that the gas-pressure exceeds the weight upon the lever M. As soon as the gas-pressure falls below the weight-pressure the pawl I will engage the next succeeding notch of the ratchet-pinion J, and with the next following upward movement of the rod II the wheel will be again turned and the shaft moved slightly. Each slight rotation of the drum or cage C will serve to expose to the action of the water a new and fresh surface of carbid, while the refuse or exhausted material will be jarred out between the bars and will fall to the bottom of the gas-chamber.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for the production of acetylene gas, the combination with the generating-chamber, of a carbid-holder consisting of an open-work cage movably supported within the chamber, a water-supply pipe extending within the chamber to discharge on a limited portion of the carbid, and means operated by variations of the gas-pressure to move the cage and present dilferent portions I of the carbid to the water-discharge,substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for the production of acetylene gas, the combination with the generating-chamber, of a carbid-holder consisting of an open-work cage pivotally supported within the chamber, means to discharge water on a limited portion of the cage-surface,

and means operated by variations in the gas pressure to move the cage and thereby change the position of the carbid within the cage, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the carbid-holder of an acetylene-gas generator and mechanism for automatically agitating the same, of a diaphragm adapted to be raised by the gaspressure and to thereby automatically agitate the carbid-holder, and the weighted lever adapted to return the diaphragm to position when the gas-pressure is decreased, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a rotatable drum or cylinder for holding calcium carbid in a gas-generator, the gas-chamber, the gas-pipe leading from said chamben'a chamber having a flexible diaphragm in connection with the gas-outlet pipe, a rod attached to the diaphragm and extended through the top plate of the diaphragm-chamber, a ratchet-wheel upon the shaft of the drum or cylinder and connections substantially as described between said diaphragm and ratchet wheel whereby an upward movement of the diaphragm will serve to partially rotate the drum.

5. The combination with a rotatable drum or cylinder for holding calcium carbid, the gas-chamber of a generator, the gas-pipe, the mechanism actuated by pressure of gas within the pipe, for effecting a partial rotation of the carbid-holder, and a weight for returning the mechanism actuated by the pressure of gas to its originalposition when the gas-pressure diminishes, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

6. In a generator for producing acetylene gas, the combination of a chamber within which the gas is generated, a liquid-recepta ole, and a rotary carbid-holder adapted to bring successive portions of the carbid into communication with the liquid-supply.

7. In a generator for producing acetylene gas, the combination of a chamber within which the gas is generated, a liquid-recepta cle, a rotary carbid-holder adapted to bring successive portions of the carbid into communication with the liquid-supply, and a shifting mechanism automatically controlled by the gas generated for rotating the carbidholder.

8. In an acetylene-generator, the combination of a liquid-holder, a carbid-holder, and a motor mechanism automatically controlled by the pressure of the gas generated for moving the carbid-holder, whereby different porfor moving one of said parts relatively to the other whereby different portions of the carbid are successively subjected to the action tating the cylinder by the action of the gas 10 of the liquid. generated.

10. In an apparatus for the production and In testimony whereof I affix my signature storage of acetylene gas, a generator comprisin presence of two Witnesses.

5 ing a chamber, in combination with a rotatable perforated 0r open-Work cylinder pivoted EDWARD therein and adapted to contain calcium car- Witnesses: bid, a tube adapted to convey water to the FLORENCE L. LANDER, carbid Within the cylinder, and means for ro- KATIE A. DOLAN. 

